行為之約 Covenant of Works
作者: 史鮑爾 (R.C. Sproul) 譯者: 姚錦榮
摘自《神學入門》《Essential Truths of the
Christian Faith》P67 ,更新傳道會出版http://www.crmnj.org/
當亞當和夏娃被造時，他們與上帝，也就是他們的創造主之間，建立一種道德上的關係。他們有責任順服上帝, 卻不能因這種順服而向上帝索求賞賜祝福。然而，上帝在慈愛、憐憫和恩典中，自願與祂的受造之物立約，將賜予祝福的應許加進衪的律法中。這不是一種由平等的雙方所立的約，而是根據上帝的主動和神聖權柄所立的約。
上帝最初與人所立的約是一種行為之約（ convenant of work )。在這約中，上帝要求人類完全地順服衪的管治，而祂也應許要賜給人類永生作順服的祝福，同時警告以死亡作為不順服上帝律法的刑罰。直到今天，所有身為亞當後裔的人類都在這約之下。直到今天，所有身為亞當后裔的人類都在這約之下，人類雖然不肯順服這約，或甚至不肯承認這約，但是總逃不離此約。全人類都與上帝有一種約的關係，他不是違約者便是守約者。行為之約是我們需要救贖的基礎（因為基督已為我們完成了此約的條款）。
人只要犯一件罪行，便已違背了行為之約，因而就成為無法向上帝償還罪債的人。而我們即使只犯了一件小罪，若還能得著名任何救贖的盼望，便是上帝的恩典，並且是單單出于上帝的恩典。
正如奧古斯丁所說的，我們從天上的上帝所得的賞賜，也是上帝恩典的作為，這些都是上帝所賜諸般恩典禮物（如信心等）之上的恩惠冠冕。亞當若能順服上帝的行為之約，他只能得到完成與上帝所立之約中的義。但因為亞當陷入罪中，上帝便按自己的憐憫又再加上一個新的恩典之約（covenant of grace
), 使救恩得以實現。
只有一個人曾遵守了行為之約，這人就是耶穌。祂成為第二個亞當，或新的亞當，祂滿足了所有我們最初與上帝之約的條款，祂所成就的義，可賜予所有信靠祂的人。
耶穌也是第一個帶著義行進入天堂的人，我們也是憑著義行進入天堂----不過是憑著耶穌的義。當我們憑著信心接受基督時，上帝便將基督的義行歸給我們。恩典之約滿足了行為之約，因為上帝將基督的義給我們，使我們在恩典之中達到了行為之約的要求。
總結
1.上帝與亞當和夏娃立了一個行為之約。
2.全人類都不能逃避與上帝所立的行為之約。
3.全人類都違背了行為之約。
4.恩典之約把基督的義歸給我們，使得行為之約得到足。
思考經文
創二17；羅三20-26；羅三5-13；加三10-14
24.
COVENANT OF WORKS
When
Adam and Eve were created, they stood in a moral relationship with God, their
Creator. They possessed a duty of obedience to Him without any inherent claim
to reward or blessing for such obedience. In His love, mercy, and grace,
however, God voluntarily entered into a covenant with His creatures by which He
added a promise of blessing to His law. This was not a covenant of equal
partners, but one that rested on God’s initiative and His divine authority.
The
original covenant between God and humankind was a covenant of works. In this
covenant, God required perfect and total obedience to His rule. He promised
eternal life as the blessing of obedience, but threatened mankind with death
for disobeying God’s law. All human beings from Adam to the present are
inescapably members of this covenant. People may refuse to obey or even
acknowledge the existence of such a covenant, but they can never escape it. All
human beings are in a covenant relationship to God, either as covenant breakers
or covenant keepers. The covenant of works is the basis of our need of
redemption (because we have violated it) and our hope of redemption (because
Christ has fulfilled its terms for us).
A
single sin is enough to violate the covenant of works and make us
debtors
who cannot pay our own debt to God. That we, after even a single sin, have any
hope of redemption is due to God’s grace and God’s grace alone.
The
rewards we will receive from God in heaven are also acts of grace. They are
God’s crowning of His own gracious gifts. Had Adam been obedient to God’s covenant of works, he would
only have achieved the merit that comes by virtue of fulfilling the covenant
agreement with God.
Because
Adam fell into sin, God, in His mercy, added a new covenant of grace by which
salvation became possible and actual.
Only
one human being has ever kept the covenant of works. That person was Jesus. His
work as the second or new Adam fulfilled all the terms of our original covenant
with God. His merit in achieving this is available to all who put their trust
in Him.
Jesus
is the first person to get into heaven by His good works. We also get into
heaven by good works—the good works of Jesus. They become “our” good works when
we receive Christ by faith. When we put our faith in Christ, God credits the
good works of Christ to our account. The covenant of grace fulfills the
covenant of works because God graciously applies the merit of Christ to our
account. Thus by grace we meet the terms set forth in the covenant of works.
Summary
1.
God entered into a covenant of works with Adam and Eve.
2.
All humans are inescapably related to God’s covenant of works.
3.
All human beings are violators of the covenant of works.
4.
Jesus fulfilled the covenant of works.
5.
The covenant of grace provides us with the merits of Christ by which the terms
of the covenant of works are satisfied.
Biblical
passages for reflection:
Genesis
2:17
Romans
3:20-26
Romans
10:5-13
Galatians
3:10-14